Written Answers

Monday 6 November 2000

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8562 by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2000, whether there are any European destinations in respect of which direct air links with Scotland would be particularly beneficial to the Scottish economy and, if so, why, and what action it will take to promote such links.

Sarah Boyack: Direct air links between Scotland and European destinations can have benefits for the Scottish economy. Decisions on the development of new links are, however, for the commercial judgment of airlines as well as airport operators who assess the potential for new services. The Enterprise Networks and others with a relevant interest in the establishment of new links can also assist in determining the need and demand for such services.

Ambulance Service

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving violence and aggression were perpetrated against members of the Scottish Ambulance Service in each of the last five years broken down by division, showing the percentage increases or decreases for each year and including separate figures for physical and verbal abuse, and what steps are being taken to reduce the number of such incidents.

Susan Deacon: The statistical information requested is not available centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service, however, has statistical data on violence towards its staff and that can be obtained by writing to Mr Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive, Scottish Ambulance Service, National Headquarters, Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5UU. He will also be able to advise you about the action being taken locally with staff and the trade unions to protect staff.

  With regard to the action being taken by the Scottish Executive Health Department to address the issue of violence towards staff, I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-10293.

Emergency Services

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in response to the interim report on the Review of Police and Fire Structures.

Mr Jim Wallace: An interim report was received in June from the Steering Group set up to take forward the Review of Police and Fire Structures. Ministers’ consideration of that report has been informed by the report of the inspection by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary of the Scottish Criminal Record Office fingerprint service which was published in September. In the light of this Ministers have concluded that initial priority should be given to developing proposals for a fundamental reform of the structure of police common services. Once the details of this reform have been settled it will then be necessary to look further at local structures to ensure that these can deliver the service required by communities, effectively, efficiently and accountably. We have also decided that work on police and fire structures should now proceed separately but continue to be linked, so that the immediate priority for further work on fire should be a review of the scope for developing collaborative services with a view to improving service efficiency. As with the police service, it may then be appropriate to look further at local structure in the light of the conclusions reached on collaborative services. I will be consulting the two services on the way in which the further work will be taken forward.

Employment

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to ensure that OKI Data Corporation in Cumbernauld offers maximum support to the 240 full-time and 80 part-time employees who will lose their jobs as a result of the company relocating its production lines.

Ms Wendy Alexander: OKI (UK) Ltd, with assistance from Locate in Scotland, SE Lanarkshire and the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE), will offer maximum support for those staff who will lose their jobs.

  The various partners involved have already met with OKI and are progressing a way forward as regards the future of the employees that will be affected.

Employment

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding any delays to the new Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre in Prestwick and their effect on local jobs and whether it will place copies of any relevant correspondence in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with the UK Government on any delay to the new Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre at Prestwick.

Enterprise

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prevent international corporations relocating their manufacturing away from Scotland as a result of the level of the pound.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Investment decisions by international companies are influenced by a range of factors of which exchange rate competitiveness is only one. The Executive understands the concerns of businesses, and particularly manufacturers trading with Europe, about the value of the exchange rate. However, recent business surveys indicate that manufacturers anticipate increased export orders over the next few months. The Executive is committed to supporting manufacturing in Scotland, as outlined in our publication Created in Scotland – The Way Forward for Manufacturing in the 21st Century , and the Scottish Executive’s Framework for Economic Development aims to secure economic growth over the longer term by promoting action on policies to boost competitiveness and increase productivity.

Enterprise

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government regarding any damage caused to Scottish manufacturing due to international companies relocating their production centres as a direct result of the level of the pound.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues and ensures that the Scottish perspective is conveyed at all times. The MPC sets interest rates for the UK economy as a whole but it takes into account a wide range of regional and sectoral data, drawing on information from its Scottish and other Regional Agents. In order that the MPC is fully aware of what is happening in Scotland, the Executive provides a monthly assessment on current Scottish economic conditions to the bank’s Scottish agent.

Environment

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis has been undertaken of the economic impact of any increased incidence of heather beetle on moorland.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No detailed analysis has been carried out on the economic impact of heather beetle on moorland.

  Heather Beetle (Lochmaea suturalis) has been increasing throughout the UK moorlands since 1995; the warm spring and summer has led to a particular increase this year, leading to some loss of heather cover throughout the UK. Information and guidance on the problem has been prepared for land managers by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Heather Trust and will feature in the next edition of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Uplands Newsletter.

Equal Opportunities

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Equality Strategy.

Jackie Baillie: We have published today the Scottish Executive’s Equality Strategy entitled Working Together for Equality , copies of which are available in the Parliament’s reference centre. There will be an opportunity to debate it in Parliament on Wednesday 8 November.

Fisheries

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on a new fishing vessel safety scheme.

Rhona Brankin: I am pleased to announce that following very helpful and constructive discussions between officials and the industry, and as part of a UK-wide initiative, we propose to introduce two key measures to promote the safety at sea of fishermen and fishing vessels.

  There is a key need to improve the safety culture within the industry. We need to make sure every fisherman is aware of safety issues and the risks involved in what is an inherently dangerous occupation. We therefore propose to make available up to £0.5 million in each of the next three financial years to promote the delivery of safety training for fishermen in Scotland.

  That will include courses to update safety awareness; training in accident prevention and risk assessment, and safety training for new entrants to the industry. Discussions about course development and delivery are already underway and consultation on the detail of implementation will continue. Delivery will be via the Sea Fish Industry Authority and is planned to commence from 1 April next year.

  We also propose to make available grant funding, of up to 40% of project costs, to support trials and testing of innovative or experimental equipment designed to help prevent accidents and improve safety at sea. Funding under that scheme will be made available as soon as possible around the end of this year.

  I am grateful to the industry representatives and others who have contributed to the development of these proposals. In particular, this initiative was driven forward with great enthusiasm by my predecessor, John Home Robertson. I share his determination to build a safety culture and I hope these measures will be welcomed and that fishermen will take advantage of the opportunities they offer. We have a common interest in improving safety. I believe these measures will contribute significantly towards that.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to start keeping statistics on the number of careless driving charges in incidents where death has occurred.

Mr Jim Wallace: Our statistics on motor vehicle offences reflect associated legal definitions. In the case of deaths, the offences for which statistics are provided are "causing death by dangerous driving" and "causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs". There is no offence of causing death by careless driving and there are currently no plans to disaggregate the statistics on careless driving.

Medical Training

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place in NHS Trusts to ensure that an adequate level of up-to-date and appropriate training is provided for medical staff and whether any new measures are planned to improve internal training audits.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education is responsible for ensuring that all doctors in training receive adequate, appropriate and up-to-date training following the guidelines laid down by the Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges. It also collaborates with the NHS Trusts in supporting Continuing Professional Development in career grade doctors.

  The regular appraisal of individual doctors within NHS Trusts together with the revalidation of doctors’ registration by the General Medical Council will also confirm appropriate training and continuing professional development.

NHS Staff

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant neurologists were in post in each hospital in Scotland in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Susan Deacon: Information on the number of consultants in post is collected at Trust level and does not detail the number of staff in each hospital. The tables below show the number of consultant neurologists employed by the NHS in Scotland for the last three years. Table 1 details the position at 30 September 1999, after the April 1999 reconfiguration of NHS Trusts; Table 2 details the position for the two years prior to Trust reconfiguration. The tables should be read in conjunction with the notes below.

  Table 1 – Consultant neurologists employed by the NHS in Scotland

  Headcount at 30 September 1999

  





Number




Scotland3


37




Ayrshire & Arran Acute Hospitals 
NHS Trust


1




Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust


3




Yorkhill NHS Trust


2




South Glasgow University Hospitals 
NHS Trust


15




North Glasgow University Hospitals 
NHS Trust


5




Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust


2




Grampian University Hospitals NHS 
Trust


5




Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust


1




Lothian University Hospitals NHS 
Trust


10




West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust


2




Tayside University Hospitals NHS 
Trust


5




Forth Valley Acute Hospitals NHS 
Trust


1




Dumfries & Galloway Acute & 
Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust


1




  Table 2 – Consultant neurologists employed by the NHS in Scotland

  Headcount at 30 September 1997 and 1998

  





Number







1997


1998




Scotland3


32


33




South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust


1


1




Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust


1


1




Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust


1


1




Southern General Hospital NHS Trust


14


15




Yorkhill NHS Trust


1


1




Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust


1


1




West Glasgow Hospitals University 
NHS Trust


3


3




Glasgow Royal Infirmary University 
NHS Trust


3


3




Stobhill NHS Trust


1


1




Glasgow Community & Mental Health 
Services NHS Trust


1


- 




Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals 
NHS Trust


1


1




Hairmyres & Stonehouse Hospitals 
NHS Trust


2


2




Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust


3


4




Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust


- 


1




West Lothian NHS Trust


2


2




Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS 
Trust


3


3




Western General Hospitals NHS Trust


9


9




Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust


5


4




Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary 
NHS Trust


1


1




Dumfries & Galloway Acute & 
Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust


1


1




  Notes for Tables 1 and 2:

  1. Source: Medical and Dental Manpower Census, ISD Scotland.

  2. Includes honorary appointments.

  3. There is an element of double counting of "heads" in this table because doctors can hold contracts in more than one Trust.

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards introducing instant appointments systems for hospital treatment in the NHSiS.

Susan Deacon: The instant appointments proposals have been incorporated into a much broader Scotland-wide programme, which is now underway, of Electronic Clinical Communications Implementation (ECCI) between Primary and Secondary Care. Five lead sites have been selected (Argyll and Clyde, West Lothian, Tayside, Grampian and Highland) with the remainder of the NHSiS following on in two further phases. The range of clinical communications includes:

  widespread email including seeking consultants’ opinion;

  co-ordinated referral information;

  electronic booking – protocol based where appropriate (previously referred to as instant appointments);

  test ordering and results receiving;

  discharge letters and summaries and clinic letters; and

  information in support of shared care.

  There are many benefits for patients and staff in these e-health initiatives which will lead to a closer integration of Primary and Secondary Care services ensuring that patients are at the centre of healthcare delivery.

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in setting and introducing maximum national waiting times in the key clinical priorities of cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health, as announced in Scottish Executive news release SE1703/1999 on 16 December 1999.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Cancer Group, the CHD Task Force and the Mental Health and Well Being Support Group are working closely with the Health Service in Scotland on the development of national waiting times targets in the three national clinical priorities.

  Targets will be included in the Scottish Health Plan, which will be published later this year.

New Opportunities Fund

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to make an announcement about future initiatives in health, education and the environment to be funded by the National Lottery’s New Opportunities Fund.

Mr Sam Galbraith: On Monday 6 November the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will publish in London and lay before Parliament a consultation document, New Opportunities from the Lottery . This will be an important consultation for Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom: I shall issue a press statement on Monday supporting it and will also lay the document before the Scottish Parliament. Copies will be widely available from my Department and through the Stationary Office, and from the Department in London. The Executive has contributed to the proposals and I hope they will receive widespread support in Scotland. I look forward to receiving views on how best to take them forward.

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been advised of the outcome of the British Railway Board’s recent review of regional international services with reference to section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987; if so, whether it will publish the information it has received; if not, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government requesting publication of this information, and what input it had to the review.

Sarah Boyack: European and international railway services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a range of railway matters.

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it proposes to give to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority regarding direct Scottish freight and passenger links to the Channel Tunnel.

Sarah Boyack: European rail services are a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive has no statutory authority to issue advice to the shadow Strategic Rail Authority concerning direct Scottish freight and passenger links to the Channel Tunnel. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a range of rail matters.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether it will give a commitment similar to her statement that the M74 northern extension "will be delivered" in relation to the Kincardine Bridge and the A80/M80 and A8/M8 projects.

Sarah Boyack: My statement of 28 September committed the Executive, directly and with its partners, to implement the decisions flowing from the studies into the A8, A80 and M74 corridors and the study into the second Kincardine bridge. That commitment stands.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether it will support the M74 option which currently has planning permission in the event that the transport corridor study shows that the full scheme is necessary to accommodate projected traffic flows.

Sarah Boyack: In my statement on 28 September I made it clear that the M74 option which currently has planning permission is not acceptable, in terms of both its environmental impact and value for money. Nor would it deliver the strategic transport link that the west of Scotland needs. That remains my view.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether the M74 northern extension will be adopted as a trunk road/motorway.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive, directly and with our partners, is committed to the delivery of the M74 Northern Extension as a strategic link for the west of Scotland. It is too early to say what form the route will take. We will consider adoption of the route as a trunk road when we have taken decisions on the way forward.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether it intends to commit to the construction of a Kincardine bypass before final decisions are taken on the proposed new crossing enhancements and whether it intends to provide a Kincardine bypass separately from any bridge procurement.

Sarah Boyack: Consultants are due to report shortly on the proposed Eastern Link Road bypassing Kincardine. A decision on whether or not to start construction of this road in advance of the new crossing will be taken in the light of that report.

Roads

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of carrying out all outstanding repairs to all roads within Mid Scotland and Fife and what the timetable is for carrying out such repairs.

Sarah Boyack: Repairs to the trunk road network in Scotland (and hence Mid Scotland and Fife) are carried out on an ongoing basis. Programmes of work are developed based on need and carried out by order of priority. Annual budgets are set to ensure this work is undertaken timeously.

  The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested on local roads, which are the responsibility of the councils as local roads authorities. I understand that the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland is currently carrying out a consultation exercise with local authorities on the condition of local roads.

Traffic

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when traffic was last surveyed by or on behalf of the Scottish Executive or Scottish Office on the section of the A71 which links the A77 with the M74, and on those sections of the A70 between Ayr and Cumnock and between Cumnock and the M74 and what proportion of (a) car, (b) light goods vehicle, (c) heavy goods vehicle and (d) bus traffic on these sections is classified as (i) local traffic and (ii) through traffic.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested as the A70 and A71 are local roads. Gathering such information would be a matter for the relevant local roads authority.

Traffic

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any studies specific to Scotland to establish probable levels of traffic growth over the next 30 years; whether it will project traffic growth in Scotland over this period by vehicle type, road type and area type, as defined by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for the UK as a whole; whether it will forecast for the same period growth in car ownership per head of population and by household, and whether it will identify and quantify the main factors it expects to drive traffic growth over this period.

Sarah Boyack: A research project is currently underway to assess the impacts of Travel Choices for Scotland , the Transport White Paper published in July 1998. Part of this involves a scoping exercise to identify an appropriate methodology to forecast traffic growth in Scotland. The Scoping Report will inform the Executive’s decision on the most appropriate way forward.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September, whether it will detail how the extra £200 million for local authorities in the period to 2004 will be paid, identifying the budget headings and specific funds through which the resources will be provided in each financial year in question and specifying each amount in both current and real prices.

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether the £200 million additional funding for local authorities in the period to 2004 will be supplemented by additional borrowing consents or Grant Aided Expenditure allocations to local authorities in this period and, if so, what the relevant capital and revenue amounts will be in each financial year, in current and real prices.

Sarah Boyack: Decisions on the allocation of the additional £200 million for local authorities, including decisions on the specific budget heads or funds affected, the timing of the allocations and the method of payment in each case will be taken following discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and, where appropriate, individual councils and transport operators. Details will be published in the full budget document for 2001-02 in the New Year.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether it will consider bids from local authorities for resources from the Public Transport Fund for local roads projects, where such projects bring environmental benefits, reduce traffic congestion, promote road safety and increase travel choices.

Sarah Boyack: No. The Public Transport Fund was specifically created to assist local authorities in providing key value for money developments to their public transport network. Some of the public transport projects supported include improvements to the local road infrastructure bringing associated environmental and safety benefits. Scottish Ministers provide local authorities annually with a block allocation for capital expenditure on a number of services, including roads and transport. It is entirely a matter for local authorities to decide the priority to be given to local roads projects, in terms of all the services for which they are responsible, and allocate resources accordingly.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether the £70 million to be made available to local authorities for repairs to local roads and bridges will be allocated on a pro rata basis or through a bidding process.

Sarah Boyack: There will not be a bidding process for these resources. These resources will be included within councils’ single non-housing capital allocations, which are distributed on a formula basis, agreed following consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, whether the £70 million to be made available to local authorities for repairs to local roads and bridges will be provided through specific capital grants or consents, non-ring fenced capital consents or enhanced Grant Aided Expenditure allocations and whether any upper limits will be set for awards to local authorities either in cash terms or in terms of a percentage share of the cost of individual projects.

Sarah Boyack: The additional allowance for local authority investment in local roads and bridges will be included within the single allocation for their non-housing capital programme, covering roads and transport, social work, private housing and general services. I expect that councils, at the very least, will maintain this year’s level of current and capital spending on roads, street lighting and bridge maintenance. The new resources must be used as additional funding and not as a way to make up the existing budget.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, how the additional £68 million for trunk roads and motorways in 2002-03 and 2003-04 will be allocated in each year between new construction and improvement and repair and maintenance, in current and real prices.

Sarah Boyack: Details of the allocation of the additional £68 million for trunk roads and motorways will be available in the full budget document for 2001-02 and beyond. This will be published in the New Year.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, how much money for the construction of the M74 northern extension is included in the sums announced in the statement and in Making a Difference for Scotland: Spending Plans for Scotland 2001-02 to 2003-04 .

Sarah Boyack: Further details of transport expenditure will be provided in the full budget document to be published in the New Year.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, what precisely it is committed to delivering at Kincardine, in relation both to the village and to the river crossing.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Murray Tosh to my answer to question S1W-10434. The Executive’s commitment regarding Kincardine will clearly depend on the recommendations of the consultants’ study.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, how much money, in current and real prices, will be allocated through the new Integrated Transport Fund in each financial year up to 2003-04; whether local authorities will be eligible to receive resources from this fund; whether funding will be on a competition basis; whether projects which include major local road projects will be eligible for funding, and what other eligibility criteria it intends to use.

Sarah Boyack: Details of the amount of money that will be allocated through the Integrated Transport Fund in each financial year up to 2003-04 will be published in the full budget document for 2001-02 and beyond in the New Year. Further details about the Integrated Transport Fund will be announced in due course.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, which of its budget headings and funds will in future include resources for allocating grants to local authorities which propose to develop road user charging schemes under the Transport (Scotland) Bill.

Sarah Boyack: Funding is included within the Other Transport Programmes set out in our spending plans Making a difference for Scotland , published on 20 September. A breakdown of that programme will be provided in the full budget to be published early next year. The Integrated Transport Fund will be the primary funding mechanism for such assistance.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it classifies road traffic as (a) local and (b) through traffic and what its criteria are for classifying "A" roads as (i) trunk roads or (ii) local roads.

Sarah Boyack: Local traffic has its origins and destinations within the area, which is being considered. Through traffic does not.

  Trunk roads form the national system of routes for through traffic. They are routes which were so designated in the Trunk Road Acts of 1936 and 1946 and which have not been subsequently detrunked, and those roads which the Minister for Transport, and previously the Secretary of State, have deemed it expedient to become trunk roads under the terms of these Acts and the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. A comprehensive review of the trunk road network was undertaken in preparation for Local Government Reform in 1996 and the findings were published in 1995. A copy is in SPICe.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 28 September 2000, how much money will be paid through Freight Facilities Grant, in current and real prices, in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2003-04 and how much money it will add to the funding automatically available as a pro rata share of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions’ allocation from its own resources in each of these years.

Sarah Boyack: Details of the amount of money that will be allocated through the Freight Facilities Grant in each financial year up to 2003-04 will be published early next year in the full budget document for 2001-02 and beyond. Further details about specific grant awards will be announced in due course.

Waste Management

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding is available for the delivery of its programme of sewage treatment round Scottish coasts and when improvements will be made at Stornoway, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The three public sector Scottish water authorities are delivering substantial investment programmes which will provide, within the next five years, new or upgraded wastewater treatment facilities at over 130 sites around the Scottish coastline and inland, improving the quality of our lochs, rivers and beaches.

  This investment will be financed by a combination of income from charges and borrowings from central government. The projects are procured by a combination of conventional procurement by the authorities themselves and public/private partnerships. The recent Spending Review makes provision to underpin this investment programme, as set out in Making a Difference for Scotland: Spending Plans for Scotland 2001-02 to 2003-04.

  The improvement projects currently under construction at Stornoway, Kirkwall and Lerwick are due to be operational by the end of this year.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Communications

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer to what extent, for what reason, and by whom the communications of MSPs and their staff are monitored, with particular reference to telephone calls, postal communications and electronic communications which originate from or are directed towards the offices at Parliament Headquarters.

Sir David Steel: Mail coming in to PHQ is screened for security purposes but no other monitoring takes place. Outgoing mail is logged so that each member’s usage can be reported, as required by the Equipment and Furniture Allowance Scheme.

  Automated call logging on the Parliament’s telephone system logs telephone usage for determining costs and exceptional patterns of use. Reports may be derived from the call logger and made available for this purpose.

  All electronic communications are automatically subject to IT security screening systems for the purposes of detecting any characteristics (e.g. computer viruses) that would be harmful to the integrity and functionality of the Parliament network services or external systems. The Scottish Parliament IT Security Policy and Standards are available for reference on SPEIR.

  There is no proactive monitoring of the emails and phone calls of members and their staff. Facilities exist to make investigations and take remedial action in response to complaints or threats that are formally reported using the procedures outlined in the Scottish Parliament IT Security Policy and Standards document.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-9552 on 19 September 2000, whether the SPCB and the Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) consider that it might be appropriate to benchmark any of the works packages for the Holyrood Project against the Scottish Executive offices at Victoria Quay, the National Museum for Scotland or the replacement Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and whether the SPCB and HPG have, or have sought, access to any data which would facilitate benchmarking against these projects.

Sir David Steel: I have consulted the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group. He has confirmed the view of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body that a benchmarking exercise of this nature would be time consuming, expensive and would inevitably divert valuable resources away from the task in hand. Bearing in mind the unique nature of many of the Parliament building’s specifications, such an exercise would be unlikely to lead to many meaningful or useful conclusions. For these reasons, neither the SPCB nor the HPG has sought access to data on the projects mentioned.

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether and how information concerning the 91 works packages which comprise the Holyrood Project is being recorded; who has access to these records; whether successful contractors are being asked for consent to publish figures for the gross value of contracts awarded, now or at some future date, and whether any such information which contractors ask to remain confidential will be made public at a future date, on a basis comparable to the release of other public records.

Sir David Steel: Copies of all paperwork relating to the procurement of works packages for the Holyrood Project are retained by the Holyrood Project Team, the Construction Managers, the Design Team and the cost consultants for the project as appropriate. This information is available to personnel working on the project who require to have access to it in the course of their duties and to members of the Holyrood Progress Group. My answer to question S1W-9469 made it clear that tender information was regarded as commercially confidential while the possibility remains of similar packages being tendered. I also indicated that it may become appropriate, in due course, to release information of this nature with the consent of the relevant contractors. I understand that the Progress Group will be making these assessments on an ongoing basis as the project progresses and consulting with contractors accordingly.

Parliamentary Staff

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many of the Parliament’s staff were seconded from (a) the UK civil service; (b) other public sector bodies, and (c) the private sector (i) as at 1 July 1999 and (ii) currently.

Sir David Steel: As at 1 July 1999, all staff working in the Parliament were employed by the Scottish Executive and had been recruited by them on our behalf. Out of a total of 319 staff in post at that time: 96 were career civil servants from the Scottish Executive; eight were seconded from Westminster; and 215 had been recruited directly from a variety of sources such as local government, central government departments, other public sector bodies and the private sector. A detailed breakdown is not readily available.

  So far as the current staffing situation is concerned, out of a total of 371 staff in post: 316 are employed by the SPCB direct; 53 are seconded from the Scottish Executive, and two are seconded from Westminster.

Smoking

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supports the introduction of a tobacco policy in the new parliament complex at Holyrood which will ensure that the parliament is a "smoke free" public building.

Sir David Steel: Under the current SPCB policy on Smoking in the Workplace, smoking is not permitted at any time in any of the buildings in the parliamentary complex except in a designated smoking area. At the moment, the central courtyard behind PHQ is the only designated smoking area.

  The SPCB has recently commissioned a survey of all members and staff to see whether or not designated smoking areas should be provided for in our new complex at Holyrood. The outcome of this survey will inform its decision on this issue.